834 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



A complete fei'tilizer application also gave the best results in the tests with 

 barley, guano proved superior to barnyard manure, and, as with wheat, snper- 

 I)hosphate was more satisfactory than basic slag. The use of the normal appli- 

 cation of the complete fertilizer was very profitable as compared with the use 

 of proprietary fertilizers. 



liye gave the best yield when only phosphates and nitrate of soda were ai)plied. 

 Double the normal quantities gave the most pronounced results. Superphos- 

 l)liates again gave better yields than basic slag, but the difference was not so 

 marked as in the tests with wheat and barley. 



In growing a crop of oats for hay a dressing of 200 lbs. of superphosphates, 

 160 lbs. of nitrate of soda, and SO lbs. of sulphate of potash per acre gave a 

 crop G24.53 per cent heavier than that of the average of unmanured land, which 

 j)roduced only 1,345 lbs. of oat hay per acre as compared with 8,400 lbs. for 

 the doubled normal application, 5,990 lbs. for the one and one-half normal, and 

 4,790 lbs, for the normal dressing. 



The variety tests with wheat apparently brought out the superiority of 4 

 Australian hybrid wheats. Darling, Jonathan, Gluyas Early, and Budds Early. 

 These varieties also proved fairly rust and drought resistant. Cape barley and 

 Scottish Chieftain were the leading varieties of barley under test. 



A cultural test with alfalfa indicated that rolling immediately after sowing 

 is a good practice, while rolling a few days after sowing and before the seed is 

 up seemed to be injurious. Rolling the strongly growing young crop had a 

 better effect than rolling the very young plant. 



Potato experiments resulted in better yields from whole tubers averaging 

 li oz. each than from whole tubers averaging 3 oz. each, the difference in yield 

 per acre bein^ 020 lbs. Planting potatoes on ridges gave a yield of 7,741 lbs. 

 Iter acre, as compared with 5,025 lbs. for level planting. Kidge planting seemed 

 to give better results when the drills were. 24 or 27 in. apart, while at the 

 distance of only 21 in. between the drills the level planting was most satis- 

 factory. The Early Rose was grown in these experiments. In a test of 20 

 varieties, Beauvais Institute, Ei)icure, Ninety-fold, Eldorado, and Northern 

 Star gave the best results. T"'he yields for these 5 varieties, however, ranged 

 from 2,155 to 4,440 lbs. of tubers per acre. 



Cultural tests with a number of grasses and leguminous forage crops are 

 reported. A crop known as N'youti from Rhodesia proved superior to any 

 imi)orted forage crop, especially under very dry conditions. The November 

 sowing of this plant yielded S,1G0 lbs. of hay per acre. While all the crops gave 

 good yields, N'youti and Yellow Milo maize were exceptionally successful. The 

 Coffee cowpea developed a great mass of leaf over 3 ft. high and yielded 050 lbs. 

 of clean seed to the acre, while New Era was of smaller growth, but yielded 

 9(!0 lbs. of seed per acre. It is noted that Zwartbek or Catjering boontje and 

 the Kafir bean are two forms of the cowpea. Cood yields are also reported 

 from Thousand-headed kale and rape. 



The influence of different fertilizer treatment on the structure of the 

 stem in the Graminese, .1. Kisskl {lUr. Oherlicss. (Jrscll. Ar//. v. Hcilk. (iicssen, 

 11. sei\, Islaturw. AM., 1 (nil).'i~]'JOf)), pp. J/S-Ho, pi. 1, dgms. 2). — Oats, meadow 

 foxtail {Alopcciints pratvnMs), and French rye grass {Avrua cUiiioi) were 

 treated witli ditt'erent quantities and combinations of fertilizers, and the influ- 

 ence of such treatment on the structure of the stems of the plants in its rela- 

 tion to their strength was studied. It was found that the use of phosphoric 

 acid thickened the cell wall and decreased the lumen, and thei'eby made the 

 structui-e of the stem considerably denser. The effect produced by phosphoric 

 acid was most marked in the bast and pith cells and no less so in the epidermal 

 cells. This substance counteracted the weakening effect of nitrogen and lime, 



